Can closure



Nov. 12, 1940. H. J. BERENSON ETAL .CA'N CLOSURE Filed Dec. 15', 1957INVENTOR HENRY J. BEEENON A. Lgvus N. TIEU DEAU 7 ATTORNEYS PatentedNov. 12, 1940 PATENT; OFFiCE .OAN CLOSURE Henry J. Berenson and Louis N.Trudeau, Milwaukee, 'Wis., assignors to Eben C. Ives, .St.

Paul, Minn.

, Application December 15, 1337, Serial No. 179,817- 3 Claims.'(o1.'.220-42 This invention relates to improvements in can closures.

While the invention may beusedupon cans V or containers made of anymaterials,'it has particular reference to metal closures for use uponnon-metallic containers- It is the primary object of the invention toprovide a novel, improved and smoothly operable closure in which the capportion of the closure is frictionally secured to the top'wall thereofand which, in repeated operations of removal and replacement, willalways function smoothly without sticking. There has never been anentirely satisfactory closure for the purposes of a container or can ofthe type in which the contents are used gradually so that the cap' mustbe repeatedly applied and removed. The present device seeks to provide asatisfactory closure for use under these circumstances, and achieves itsobjective to produce results of a very satisfactory nature. t

The invention is particularly directed to closures of the type in whichthe rim of the can top is received within the rim of a shallow cap.

Thus the device may be used either with or without a seal orsupplemental closure of foil, Cellophane, or paper.

Additional objectives of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing disclosure.

In Figure 1 we have illustrated in perspective a device embodying theinvention, portions of the cap being broken away to expose a rim portionof the can top.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section through the deviceshown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a further enlarged detail view partially in plan andpartially in horizontal section, showing a corner portion of theassembly.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view in cross section through a sideportion of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view in cross section through a cornerportion of the assembly shown in Figure 1.

Like partsare identified by the same reference characters throughout theseveral views.

As above indicated, the material of which the can or container is madeis broadly not pertinent to the present invention. It may, however, be

assumed that the receptacle or can 6 is made of paper or fiber uponwhich the top I is crimped as shown at 8 in the usual manner.

Regardless of the shape of the can, the present invention contemplatesthat the can top 1 shall be provided with an upstanding rim l0 overwhich the cap hereinafter to be described shall be telescopicallyslidable, the arrangement being such that the rim and the cap are'notentirely complementary, one or the other being offset at substantialintervals to provide areas of pressure 5", contact between which thereexists a minute spacing barely sufficient so that the frictionbetween'the' cap and the rim is concentrated at such contact areas. I

For the purposes of the present disclosure it 10 may be assumed that itis preferred that the rim Ill be of generally'polygonal and preferablyrectangular outline in plan, as distinguished from a circular orelliptical contour. Inother words, it should have corners II which neednot be 15 sharply rectangular and may, in fact, berounded as shown, butwhich should desirably be very well defined and should preferably beseparated by substantially rectilinear side portions. Where theoutline'is polygonal, these corners ll may 20 conveniently constitutethe portions of the rim which are pressed slightly outwardly. This mayreadily be accomplished by a suitable conformation of the forming die.The degree of expressionis actually exaggerated in Fig. 3. In actualpractice theprojection of the corners ll beyond the remaining sideportions'of rim i0 is so slight as to be almost imperceptible.

The cap [5 has a skirt portion l6 which is com-. plementary to the rimill with the exception that 30 its generally polygonal outline shouldnot be expressed specially at its corners, and with thefurther exceptionthat its angle with reference to the vertical is materially less thanthat of the rim. In actual practice we prefer that the angularity of.pitch of the rim ll be approximately three degrees from the vertical,while the angularity of the skirt or flange I6 of the capis onlyapproximately one and one half degrees from the vertical. The extrememargin of the skirt or flange I6 is also preferably formed outwardly asshown at I! to facilitate its application over the rim.

The upper margin of the rim is preferably pro- 45 vided with ahorizontal flange at 18 to comprise a seat upon which the fiat uppersurface of the cap rests when the closure is tightly applied. There mayalso be interposed between the seat l8 and the closure a seal 20 whichmay be made of sheet metal or paper or the like, but is preferably madeof Cellophane which, being transparent, will fully protect the contentsof the original package while rendering them fully visible upon removalof the closure. Moreover, the

Cellophane seal is readily broken to permit access to the contents.

The extent to which the corners H of the rim are projected beyond thesides thereof is so slight as not to be perceptible to the eye.Consequently the gap between the skirt portion of the lid and the sideportion of rim ID which exists as shown in Fig. 4, is so minute as to beof a capillary nature and it does not permit the escape of the contentsof the can even if the lid I5 is not tightly seated on the flange 18.Yet the gap exists and eliminates all friction between the sides andends of the cap and the sides and ends of the rim.

Since all friction is concentrated at the corners II, the lid or cap maybe removed and applied with no sticking whatever and with greatsmoothness of movement. The difference of operationbetween a deviceembodying this invention and the more conventional circular orelliptical cap or the stopper type cap is pronouncedly apparent to theoperator. Moreover, the slight difference in angle between the sides ofthe cap and rim causes a very gradual increase in frictional resistanceto movement of the cap during application thereof so that ultimately thecap is very firmly held by friction but is so smoothly operable as to beinstantly and readily removable under all circumstances.

Thus the invention is particularly adapted for cans or receptacles fromwhich the contents are removed in relatively small amounts from time totime. The replacement of the cap following each removalwill make thepackage as tight as it was in the first instance, and this isaccomplished without sticking or binding at any time.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with acontainer top having a substantially rigid upstanding rim of generallyrectangular form with itsexterior surface at a slight angle to thevertical and its corners rounded and projecting slightly beyond itssides and ends, of a removable cap with a skirt portion in frictionalpressure engagement with the outer surface of said corner portions and aflange projecting from the top of said rim and slightly spaced from thrim intermediate said corner portions, said skirt having an angle withrespect to the vertical less than that of said rim, said top beingprovided with a central opening within said rim and a flange projectingfrom said rim centrally about said opening.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with acontainer top having a substantially rigid upstanding rim of generallyrectangular form with its exterior surface at a slight angle to thevertical and its corners rounded and projecting slightly beyond itssides and ends, of a removable cap with a skirt portion in frictionalpressure engagement with the outer surface of said corner portions ofthe rim and slightly spaced from the rim intermediate said cornerportions, said skirt having an angle with respect to the vertical lessthan that of said rim, said top being provided with a central openingwithin said rim and a flange projecting from the top of said rimcentrally about said opening, together with a seal seatedon said flangeand upon which said cap is seated.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with acontainer top having an upstanding rim of generally rectangular formwith i s exterior surface at a slight angle to the vertical and itscorners rounded and projecting slightly beyond its sides and ends, of aremovable cap with a skirt portion in frictional pressure engagementwith the outer surface of said corner portions of the rim and slightlyspaced from the rim intermediate said corner portions, said skiit havingan angle with respect to the vertical less than that of said rim, saidtop being provided with a central opening within said rim and a flangeprojecting from the top of said rim centrally about said opening,together with a seal seated on said flange and upon which said cap isseated, said seal comprising a transparent web.

LOUIS N TRUDEAU. HENRY J. BERENSON.

